Keiretsu Forum, which was founded in 2000 by Randy Williams, is a private group of international members comprising an angel investor network. The network has 53 chapters in cities such as San Francisco California, Seattle Washington, New York City, Paris France, Istanbul Turkey, and Chennai in India.
Investor Capital Expo
In 2008, Williams started the Keiretsu Forum Investor Capital Expo, which brings together angel investors and entrepreneurs looking for funding, and which takes place every year in Silicon Valley/San Francisco for the Northern California Investor Capital Expo, Investor Capital Expos have been hosted in cities including: Stockholm, Seattle, Sydney, Toronto, Prague, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
Referral Fees Controversy
Keiretsu Forum operates using a referral model that charges entrepreneurs and startups significant fees for the opportunity to pitch to the network members, a practice that is strongly discouraged in
Angel Capital Association Angel Capital Association (ACA) is the official industry alliance of over 100 of the largest angel investor groups in the United States. Since its founding in 2004, it has played a significant role in bringing together the previously separate angel ...
guidelines. In 2009, tech investor and author
Jason Calacanis
Jason McCabe Calacanis (born November 28, 1970) is an American Internet entrepreneur, angel investor, author and podcaster.
His first company was part of the dot-com era in New York. His second venture, Weblogs, Inc., a publishing company tha ...
criticized several investor networks, including Keiretsu, as operating
pay to play
Pay-to-play, sometimes pay-for-play or P2P, is a phrase used for a variety of situations in which money is exchanged for services or the privilege to engage in certain activities. The common denominator of all forms of pay-to-play is that one mus ...
schemes. He also established
Open Angel Forum
The Open Angel Forum is a recurring event designed to aid early stage startup companies seeking funding, via presentations to prospective angel investors.
Launched in 2009 by tech entrepreneur and media figure Jason Calacanis, the event was the cu ...
as an alternative investor network that doesn't charge fees. Williams subsequently clarified Keiretsu's policy of waiving fees for startup companies that have limited capital and no revenue.
Calacanis Bludgeons Angel Group Keiretsu Forum Into Submission
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References
{{Reflist
External links
Keiretsu Forum - official website
* (http://www.investorcapitalexpo.net Investor Capital Expo - official website)
Angel investors
Organizations established in 2000